Kaspersky Total Security Review

During our in-house tests of Kaspersky, it was very effective at stopping threats before they began downloading. This was true in all three major web browsers, including Microsoft Edge which typically doesn&rsquo;t allow third-party security programs to work alongside it.

During our in-house tests of Kaspersky, it was very effective at stopping threats before they began downloading. This was true in all three major web browsers, including Microsoft Edge which typically doesn’t allow third-party security programs to work alongside it. A few Trojans slipped past some of the browser security settings, but Kaspersky stopped them before they could completely download and attack our computer. Other testing facilities also give Kaspersky high scores for computer protection. Kaspersky Total Security comes with parental controls, is compatible with Windows and Mac operating systems, and works on Android and iOS mobile devices.

It is important to note that there has been some controversy about the security of Kaspersky’s software because of the possible ties to the Russian government. We feel that the program is still safe to use on home computers. You can learn more in this article from our partner site Tom’s Guide.

Kaspersky did really well in our independent test of its malware protection capabilities. It stopped 98 percent of the malware samples we used during our Windows testing and 100 percent of the Mac threats. We watched how Kaspersky stopped viruses as they downloaded and before they could infect our machines. Most of the threats were immediately deleted with no trace left behind. A few threats were quarantined for us to look over first. But after we were done, Kaspersky scrubbed these threats, too.

During the full scans we ran with Kaspersky, we didn’t notice any change in computer speed while we navigated the web, played games and watched movies online, sent emails and downloaded programs and files. We were most impressed that Kaspersky was able to find malware that other computer security programs had blocked but didn’t completely remove from our test computers.

Kaspersky Total Security has powerful safeguards against threats that could enter your computer through USB thumb drives or other removable media. It also protects against malicious websites and has parental controls so you can monitor your child’s online activity. Along with these features, Total Security also has password managers and a personal firewall.

Looking for a different antivirus or unsure if this is the right software for you? Make sure to check out our best antivirus guide

When the software is installed on Windows computers and laptops, you also have access to safe banking tools that protect your login credentials, account numbers and credit card info while you bank and shop online. This reduces the chance of your identity being stolen. Kaspersky also as a vulnerability scanner that looks for outdated software on your Windows machines and helps you secure them so hackers and ransomware can’t break into your system through them. These tools aren’t available on Mac machines, though.

Kaspersky has a lot of tools that work on both Android and iOS mobile devices. For both operating systems it features password managers, phishing protection and parental controls. For Android phones you can use Kaspersky to block unwanted phone calls. This tool isn’t available for iOS users.

Kaspersky Total Security is a fine computer protection program that provides good support against malware on Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices. Extra security tools include parental controls on all platforms, password managers and antitheft tools for mobile devices. The Mac component doesn’t include a vulnerability scan or safe banking tools, but both are included with the Windows application.